


Always

by RaeDMagdon



Series: The Best Entertainment [34]
Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Bondage, Eating out, F/F, Family Fluff, Fingering, Magic Cock, Mind Meld, Oral, Pregnancy, Riding Crops, Romance, Sex Toys, Strap-Ons, The Best Entertainment, high tech strap-ons, melding, x-frame
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-21
Updated: 2020-10-21
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:28:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,722
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27137314
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RaeDMagdon/pseuds/RaeDMagdon
Summary: Lycoris plans a special surprise for her and Athena's anniversary.
Relationships: Athena T'Soni/Lycoris Tevos, Female Shepard/Liara T'Soni, Tevos/Aria T'Loak
Series: The Best Entertainment [34]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/25567
Comments: 30
Kudos: 66





	Always

**Author's Note:**

> You asked for a story where Lycoris and Athena get each other pregnant. Here it is!

“Yes, Mom. Right. The hospital said I was ready to go home last week… If you disagree, take it up with—What? No! I cannot  _ believe _ you. You used your network to look up the doctor’s credentials?!”

Lycoris listened to Athena’s conversation with half an ear as she steered the shuttle toward their apartment, concealing a knowing smile. They’d just left the restaurant when her mother-in-law called, and though Athena had been reluctant to answer on their anniversary, Lycoris had talked her into it. Now, she regretted the suggestion.

“Why? Because it’s a huge invasion of my privacy! I don’t care how public the information is, you didn’t need to…”

Touching down in their private parking space on the roof, Lycoris switched the shuttle off and unfastened her safety harness, leaning back in her seat. Knowing Athena and her mother’s relationship, the conversation would either be very long, or very short.

Abruptness and frustration won out. “We’ll discuss this later, after you’ve had some time to think about what I said.” Athena cut off her omnitool, flopping her crest back into the headrest with a dramatic sigh. “Can you believe her, Corrie? Almost three hundred years old, and my mom’s still pulling the same old stunts.”

Lycoris reached over, resting a white-gloved hand on Athena’s knee. It was bare, thanks to the high hem of the emerald wrap dress Athena wore, and Lycoris took a moment to enjoy the feel of warm flesh through leather. “I’m not defending your mother, but—”

“There is no but.” Athena shot Lycoris a reproachful glare. “She doesn’t need unrestricted access to my current medical information, even though I was in the hospital.”

Lycoris sighed. There was no arguing with Athena on this issue, but she understood Liara’s perspective, even if she didn’t agree. She’d been just as frightened, just as devastated two weeks ago when she’d gotten the call from Aria, telling her Athena was in emergency surgery.

She closed her eyes, pushing those thoughts away. Thoughts of Athena lying prone on a stark white cot, eyes closed, her blue face unnaturally pale except where it was marred by ugly purple bruises. This was supposed to be a happy night—a night involving a great deal of preparation on her part. 

“I’m sorry she called on our anniversary,” Lycoris said, squeezing Athena’s knee, “but it doesn’t have to ruin our whole evening. Let’s go inside. I have a surprise that might cheer you up.”

Athena’s mouth pulled into a smirk. The seductive look in her half-lidded green eyes firmly anchored Lycoris in the present, where the bruises on her bondmate’s face were completely gone and there was no longer anything to worry about. “Is it the kind that fits in your pants? Because that’s the sort of surprise I’m interested in right now.”

“Not quite, but you’re on the right track.” Lycoris opened the driver’s side door, then circled around to open Athena’s as well. Athena took her hand, and she couldn’t resist bringing it to her lips for a kiss. “I just wanted to do something special, even if this year isn’t a round number.”

Athena squeezed Lycoris’s hand. “Every moment with you is special, even after two hundred and three years.”

Lycoris’s heart swelled. After two hundred and three years, she felt exactly the same.

Sometimes she waited for the moment other, more jaded people described when discussing their own failed relationships. The moment when she looked at Athena and felt boredom, apathy, or even resentment. But it never came. Each morning they woke up together in the same bed, each evening they ate dinner across the same table, each boring trip to the grocery store, she felt the same sense of wonder she’d first experienced in early childhood, back when Athena had been her best friend. Athena was  _ still _ her best friend. Bonding with her had been the smartest decision of Lycoris’s life.

“I love you,” she murmured, running her thumb over Athena’s knuckles.

Athena’s smirk spread wider, her green eyes dancing with mischief. “Why don’t you show me how much you love me somewhere other than the parking lot?”

It was a suggestion Lycoris couldn’t resist. With a surge of giddiness that made her toes tingle inside her boots, she swept Athena into her arms and carried her to the elevator.

“Corrie!” Athena placed an open palm on Lycoris’s chest as if to admonish her, but a moment later, that same hand slid over Lycoris’s shoulder and around the back of her neck, caressing the sensitive ridges at the base of her crest. 

Lycoris felt a distinct throb between her legs, but didn’t let it break her stride. She carried Athena into the elevator and refused to set her down inside.

“Fine,” Athena said. “I’ll press the button, since you’ve got your hands full.”

Lycoris grinned. “In more ways than one. But I wouldn’t change it for the galaxy. Wait,” she added as Athena reached over to press the button for the penthouse. “One floor lower.”

Athena’s eyes went wide. “You didn’t!”

“I might have started a small home improvement project after you chased me out of the hospital and told me, and I quote: ‘Go home and rest, or you’ll be staying in the hospital as a patient instead of a visitor—’”

Suddenly, Athena’s lips were on hers, hot and hungry and delightfully insistent. The taste of dessert wine and lipstick only slightly covered the warm, natural flavor of Athena’s mouth, for which Lycoris was grateful. She wanted to taste Athena every day until she died, and even after that.

Athena didn’t break away until they were both breathless. Only then did she press the button for the building’s second-highest floor, the apartment directly below theirs; an apartment they had purchased with a specific goal in mind.

They found each other’s mouths again, taking and tasting until the lift came to a stop. Lycoris would have willingly kept going—would have had Athena right there in the elevator, if her bondmate allowed—but reluctantly permitted Athena to turn and look through the sliding doors instead.

“Oh, Corrie.”

Lycoris set Athena gently on her feet, keeping hold of her hand as they crossed the threshold. Even though she’d designed the layout personally, she felt a rush of excitement as she studied their new playroom. The walls were painted a deep, reddish-purple, not too different a shade from the wine they’d had with dinner. The lighting was dim and mysterious, although it could be brightened with a tap of her omnitool.

All kinds of striking implements hung on the far wall, some of them showpieces, others old favorites they had used in the past. There were paddles, riding crops, floggers, and even a few whips, though Lycoris would never use such a thing on Athena. Her biotic lash gave her precise control over each blow, allowing her to deliver just the right amount of stimulation without causing true pain.

An X-frame stood beside the wall, illuminated by its own pale orange spotlight. Comfortable padded cuffs were built into its arms and legs, and a pillow stuck out from between the upper ‘V’, so whoever was strapped in had a place to rest their head.

Lycoris never thought of pain and discomfort as the goal for these kinds of games. It was about submission. A twinge of fear, perhaps. And, yes, a little pain, if only to contrast and blend with pleasure. But not torture. The only thing she’d ever wanted to do in her life was make Athena deliriously happy. Hopefully, this new playroom would do just that.

Athena squeezed her hand, peering at her with tear-filled blue eyes. “Sweetheart, it’s perfect.”

Lycoris’s heart skipped a beat. “Really? I haven’t added a bed yet, but I wanted you to help me choose one. There’s a couch over there, and the horse is over—” 

Athena’s lips cut off the rest of her explanation. Lycoris relaxed, resting her hands on Athena’s generous waist. What had she been saying? She couldn’t remember. It probably hadn’t been important, anyway.

As Athena’s tongue brushed hers, Lycoris’s confidence swelled. Her bondmate still had the power to twist her stomach in knots and set her knees atremble, even after two hundred years together, but she’d learned a thing or two about how to make Athena swoon in that time as well. She slid her palms around Athena’s waist, circling down to cup her rear.

“Mmh…” When Athena moaned into her mouth, tugging teasingly at her bottom lip, Lycoris knew she’d scored a point. She kneaded her bondmate’s ass, letting the tips of her fingertips skim the backs of Athena’s thighs. The green wrap dress had a scandalously high hem, which Lycoris had delighted in all night, but not as much as she did in this moment.

She was surprised, but not unhappy, to feel the familiar pressure of Athena’s thoughts at the barrier of her own mind. They rarely melded this early—at least not for sexual melds—but she didn’t object as Athena pushed forward, establishing a shallow, surface-level connection…

_ Oh! _

Lycoris gasped, rocking her pelvis forward against Athena’s. Suddenly, she understood why her bondmate had offered to join with her. Images bombarded her, gathering into a cloud of swirling, red-misted desire.

_ Athena, strapped to the X-frame, gleaming with sweat. _

_ Athena, kneeling before the couch, brushing worshipful lips along my thigh. _

_ Athena, bent over the horse, taking my cock to the hilt… _

Lycoris throbbed against the seam of her leather pants. She wouldn’t last long if Athena insisted on teasing her like this. She broke the kiss and the meld, ignoring Athena’s unhappy whimper. 

“Bad girl,” she murmured, giving Athena’s rear end a firm squeeze. “Showing me all the thoughts in that beautiful, filthy mind of yours won’t make them happen before I’m ready.”

Athena ran a tongue over her lips. “Oh, we’re both ready. The question is, what are you going to do about it?”

Determined to maintain control, for Athena’s sake more than her own, Lycoris removed her hands from her bondmate’s ass, gripping her by the shoulders. She marched Athena backwards, relishing the visible widening and darkening of her eyes. The sight of Athena, aroused and ready for her,  _ because _ of her, never ceased to amaze her.

Those same eyes stole a pleading glance at the cushioned X-frame, and Lycoris couldn’t resist the silent request. She stepped back, putting a body’s worth of space between her and Athena, hardening her glare into something she’d learned from her father—something that would pin Athena in place until she was ready.

“Strip for me. Slowly.”

Athena obeyed without hesitation. She took her time peeling the dress from her body, allowing her hands to linger in certain places. Her breasts. Her belly. Her thighs. Soon, it lay in a heap on the floor.

Lycoris tilted her head. “No underwear?”

Despite the vulnerability of nakedness, Athena smirked. “Don’t act surprised. It’s date night.”

Lycoris laughed. Though she could put on the show of the big, bad top very well these days, that didn’t mean her sense of humor was completely gone. “Sassy, aren’t you? Get on the Nos Astra Doublebar for me, unless you want a punishment you  _ won’t _ enjoy.”

The sight of Athena naked, breathless, and scrambling to obey set Lycoris’s heart thumping. She fought a grin as Athena raised her arms, placing her wrists in the padded cuffs. Only when Athena licked her lips and adopted yet another desperate look did Lycoris stalk forward. She took her time, circling the X-frame once before finally fastening the cuffs.

Athena curled her fingers into her palms, squirming to test her new bonds.

“Be still,” Lycoris growled, leaning close. “Only good girls get rewards—even on their anniversaries.” Her stomach flipped as Athena gazed up at her through hooded lashes. Both irises were inky black pools of lust, and a fine tremor raced through her bound limbs.

“I’ll be good,” Athena said.

Lycoris didn’t believe it, but she very much looked forward to seeing Athena’s attempts.

She bent to cuff Athena’s ankles, noting with pleasure that the X-frame was the perfect height. She’d had it custom made based on Athena’s measurements, although it had extenders built into the arms in case she wanted to surrender herself to Athena’s mercy.  _ Perhaps later tonight, if things go well…  _

But Lycoris wasn’t ready to surrender her dominant role yet. She straightened, stepping back to admire the breathtaking tableau she had created. Athena’s breasts rose and fell with each breath. Her nipples had hardened to thick purple points. Her stomach, well-muscled under a beautiful layer of softness, rolled as Lycoris’s gaze roamed over it. And her azure…

Athena’s azure was already swollen and dripping. Her outer lips had petaled open, revealing the slick, shiny inner ones, flushed an even darker shade of violet than her nipples. “Please,” she murmured, fixing Lycoris with a dark, swirling stare. “Do whatever you want with me.”

It was a plea Lycoris couldn’t possibly resist. She strolled over to the pegged wall of toys, taking plenty of time to survey her choices—not because she was unsure, but because she knew the anticipation would drive Athena crazy. She ran her fingers over several implements, caressing them in a way she hoped would make Athena squirm against her bonds, before eventually selecting a small, flexible black crop with a leather tab.

“Whatever I want?” she repeated, turning around and tapping the crop against the opposite palm.  _ “Anything  _ I want?”

Athena’s throat bobbed as she swallowed. “Anything.”

Lycoris licked her lips, spacing out her steps so her heels clacked menacingly across the sleek white tiles. She enjoyed the nervous hitch of Athena’s breath and the dilation of her already blown pupils, turning her irises from emerald green to a liquid void of black. She loved that she could still inspire such desire in her bondmate, even after two hundred years.

“Don’t scream,” Lycoris said. “I’ll tell you when you can use that pretty mouth again.”

Athena pressed her lips together and nodded.

Instead of abusing the expanse of smooth blue flesh bound and exposed for her, Lycoris teased. She ran the crop along Athena’s right flank, using just the edge and relishing the resultant shiver. Only when Athena’s leg relaxed did she draw the crop back for a quick, sharp tap.

Athena gasped, but didn’t cry out. She pressed her lips together, her eyes darting to the floor as though she were embarrassed. As though looking directly into Lycoris’s eyes might be too intense.

Lycoris grinned. This was why she loved tying Athena up. Making her squirm. The rush of power and control was addictive. Her clit, already slick and swollen, rubbed uncomfortably against the seam of her pants… but no. She couldn’t take care of her own needs yet. Not until she finished playing with Athena.

She tapped another spot, higher up on Athena’s thigh. This strike was harder, causing Athena’s toes to curl. Her heart skipped a beat.  _ Goddess, you’re so beautiful like this. _

Enraptured by the sights, the sounds, and the smell of Athena’s perfume gradually becoming infused with the pleasant scent of sweat, Lycoris took her time leaving deep purple marks all over her bondmate’s body. Contrary to the orders she’d given, Athena let slip a few soft whimpers, but Lycoris pretended not to notice. She was having far too much fun making an O-shaped bruise on the outer curve of Athena’s right breast.

Soon, her little project took shape, a perfect ‘O’ made of overlapping purple marks. She finished it off with a straight line through the bottom: the well-known symbol of Omega, the kingdom she would rightfully inherit. “You should get this tattooed,” Lycoris purred, lowering the crop and tracing her fingertips over the bruised flesh. “It would look so sexy on you. You may speak now, by the way.”

“Absolutely not,” Athea laughed, still breathless. “Your own  _ mother _ has the same tattoo directly on her ass.”

Lycoris lifted her tattooed brow. “So?” She cupped Athena’s breast in her hand, flicking the pad of her thumb over a straining nipple. “Omega isn’t just my father’s anymore. It’s ours, too. And you’re  _ mine.” _ She pinched the nipple to emphasize her point, enjoying the way Athena’s hips bucked forward, causing her to struggle against her bonds.

“I’ll think about it.” Athena’s eyes darting down to the pattern of bruises on her breast, then the crop Lycoris held loosely at her side.

Lycoris got the message. She amused herself by scattering light blows across Athena’s thighs, admiring the way their softness rippled in response. Some left marks, but judging by the way Athena’s hips rocked, they caused far more pleasure than pain.

Athena’s squirming increased, but she remained silent as ordered while Lycoris dragged the edge of the crop along her thigh, running it through one of the slick, shiny trails leaking from her bondmate’s azure. “So pretty,” she said, flicking the tab lightly against the ridge of Athena’s clit. “I can’t wait to feel you wrapped around my cock later.”

Blackness welled in Athena’s eyes. When Lycoris made the mistake of looking into them, she nearly lost herself in their depths. If they’d shared any skin contact at all, she surely would have been swept away, drawn to the warmth and light of Athena’s mind just as the galaxy’s countless planets were drawn to the stars they orbited.

It took all the willpower she possessed to hold herself back, but somehow, Lycoris managed. She forced herself to maintain eye contact with Athena as she rubbed the crop’s tab against her bondmate’s clit, only occasionally sliding it further to tease her entrance. “You like this, don’t you? Being teased. Left  _ wanting. _ You may answer.”

“No,” Athena gasped.

Lycoris pulled the crop away. “No?”

Athena gave an unhappy groan, trying to follow the crop with her hips. However, her bonds kept her trapped in place on the Nos Astra Doublebar. Lycoris’s heart swelled. The sight of Athena, spread out and struggling, searching desperately for the contact she’d lost, was almost too tempting to resist.

“Let’s try again,” she said, struggling to keep her voice from shaking with desire. “You like it when I tease you like this, don’t you?”

“No.” Athena’s eyes were twin voids, dark and fathomless. “I want to come.”

The back of Lycoris’s crest itched, a sign that her body longed for the union as well. If she wanted it this badly already, Athena had to be dying for it. “Let’s see, shall we? I know a way to find out the truth.” She lowered the crop, peeled off her right glove, and cupped Athena’s flushed cheek with her bare palm.

That small bit of skin contact was all the kindling they needed to light the fire of the meld. And it  _ was _ fire this time—a living, breathing thing that burned hot and threatened to consume them both. Lycoris found herself engulfed by Athena’s need, totally unprepared for its raw, scorching power.

Within the cozy, private space that had blossomed into being between their minds, Lycoris beheld her bondmate’s soul in awe. Their melds were not usually like this. Athena’s mind often reminded Lycoris of her father’s, actually—minus the sexual dimension. Proud, sharp, and stubborn, Athena resembled reinforced steel, cool and completely unyielding. But this time, Athena had been set ablaze.

Lycoris was overcome with the knowledge that  _ she _ had done this.  _ She _ had made Athena melt, with little more than a riding crop and a few orders.

_ Please, _ Athena called, not even trying to hide the pleading note in her mind’s voice.  _ Corrie, please. I need to… _

Lycoris trembled, dropping the crop to the floor with a clatter. Athena’s desire caused a sharp pang between her own legs, restoring her awareness to her body.  _ Their _ bodies. It was hard to tell the difference now, even though Athena was naked and bound, while she was free with all her clothes on. They were one, and Athena’s desire was her desire.

In the end, she couldn’t resist. She could play the role of the big bad top for a little while, but she had never been able to deny Athena anything. It had been that way since they were children, and it probably would continue just the same for the next eight hundred years or so.

_ Come for me, _ Lycoris said, sliding the fingers of her left hand between Athena’s legs. She rubbed Athena’s clit gently beneath gloved fingers, timing the motion with the pad of her thumb on Athena’s cheek.  _ I want to feel you fall apart around my fingers. _

With only that warning, Lycoris slid three inside at once. Athena screamed and arched, but there was no resistance, neither physically nor mentally. She was wet, open, and more than ready to accept whatever Lycoris decided to give. Her inner walls clenched, rippling on the edge of release, and Lycoris wished she’d taken off both gloves. 

_ Oh well. I’ll feel you around my cock later. _

Athena came, tumbling over into the abyss and dragging Lycoris right along with her. Lycoris was only too happy to fall. She leaned forward, resting her forehead against Athena’s and breathing heavily. When Athena kissed her, plundering her mouth with a hungry tongue, Lycoris allowed it. She curled her fingers forward, determined to stretch their shared peak for as long as possible.

It ended far too soon. Athena sagged within the cuffs, panting with exertion, and Lycoris withdrew her fingers, feeling how sensitive her bondmate was. She took longer to leave the meld, offering Athena plenty of praise.

_ You’re so beautiful, The. So perfect. I love it when you come for me. _

Athena laughed. “I’ll come again if you keep talking sweet like that.”

Lycoris claimed her lips in another, softer kiss. Their mouths brushed slowly and languorously, as though they had all the time in the world. Only when she’d had her fill did Lycoris end the meld and unfasten Athena’s cuffs, helping her down and keeping a steadying arm beneath her elbow.

“Couch,” she said, shepherding Athena in that direction.

Athena tilted her head. “What else do you have planned?”

Lycoris winked. “You should’ve searched during the meld. Now you’ll just have to wait and see.”

“As long as you make good on your promise about me coming around your cock.” Athena let go of Lycoris’s arm and sprawled on the couch, releasing a heavy sigh.

“Don’t get too comfortable there,” Lycoris said, unfastening her fly. “You won’t be lying down long.”

Athena’s brow rose. “Then what will I be doing?”

Lycoris bent over to unzip her boots and peel down her pants, maintaining eye contact all the while. It was difficult, considering how tight the leather was, but she’d had centuries of practice. “You’ll be putting that sweet little mouth to good use. On your knees.” Once her lower half was naked, Lycoris kicked her clothes aside, taking a seat on the couch by Athena’s feet. “Get up, lazybones.” She dragged the tip of her finger along the sole of Athena’s foot, causing her to squeal and curl into a ball.

“Rude!” Nevertheless, Athena rolled off the couch and onto her knees, positioning herself between Lycoris’s spread legs.

Lycoris peeled off her remaining wet glove in order to caress Athena’s crest bare-handed. Honestly, this was more of a treat for Athena than for herself. Although she loved the silky heat of Athena’s mouth tending to her azure, she loved making Athena happy even more. And letting Athena lick her would  _ definitely _ make her bondmate very happy.

***

Athena didn’t bother with any warm-up. She ducked her head, splayed both palms on Lycoris’s lean, muscular thighs, and licked with broad, hungry strokes. Lycoris’s taste was as addictive as always—light at first, but increasingly heavy and salty as her nose brushed the ridge of Lycoris’s clit.

“Fuck, The, your  _ mouth,” _ Lycoris moaned, raking her nails along the divots of Athena’s crest.

A shiver raced down Athena’s spine. Lycoris always knew just how to touch her. How to make her clit throb and her azure clench by stroking the complete opposite side of her body. They had been lovers for well over two hundred years, but the profound effect Lycoris had on her never lessened. Familiarity only strengthened its pull.

Desperate to share her joy, to give Lycoris the same pleasure she felt simply by being allowed to serve, Athena wrapped her lips around Lycoris’s clit, rolling her tongue in teasing circles. Her reward was a sharp gasp and a rush of warmth against her chin. Lycoris hadn’t come yet, but she was close.

When Lycoris gripped the back of her head and rocked forward, Athena didn’t protest. She knew Lycoris was doing it for her—to make her feel used in the dirtiest, most delightful way—but she kept the strokes of her tongue soft and gentle, the way she knew Lycoris loved. This was for both of them, like the best sex always was.

Lycoris broke a few moments later, coming hard against Athena’s mouth and plunging into her mind like a diver cutting the ocean’s surface. Athena’s body forgot how to breathe, but her spirit remembered. Having Lycoris with her, inside of her, an inseparable part of her, was the sweetest kind of relief.

She shared Lycoris’s peak, guiding it along by removing one hand from her bondmate’s thigh and cupping it between her own legs. She sank two fingers inside herself, sucking Lycoris’s clit harder as the ripples strengthened. Lycoris grunted and shuddered, then sagged back into the couch, stroking the top of Athena’s head.

_ That’s it. Good girl. _

Athena’s heart sang.  _ You always come so beautifully, _ she thought back. Tops—especially tender-hearted service tops like Lycoris—needed praise, too.  _ It leaves me in awe every time. _

_ Sweet-talker. _

The meld ended gradually, leaving Athena with her cheek resting on Lycoris’s thigh while Lycoris scratched the sensitive ridges on the side of her neck. A smile crept across Athena’s face as her eyes fluttered shut. “If I could keep a piece of you with me always, I would,” she confessed, kissing the warm skin beneath her lips. It was slick with Lycoris’s pleasure and tasted wonderfully of her.

“I would too,” Lycoris murmured.

The scratching stopped. Athena’s eyes opened. She looked up, tilting her head. “What?”

“I mean, there’s a way we could always carry part of each other. Sort of. Metaphorically speaking.”

Perhaps it was the remnants of the meld, but Athena was fairly certain she knew what Lycoris was referring to. She gazed into Lycoris’s eyes, and the tenderness and love shining within their timeless depths pulled on the very strings of her soul.

“You mean a baby, don’t you?”

Lycoris offered a sheepish smile. The points of her cheeks were a darker shade of purple than usual, and her expression held undisguised hope. “Well, we’ve discussed the idea before.”

“I thought we were going to wait another century?” But even as Athena said so, she felt a curious sadness deep within her chest, a spiritual ache she couldn’t quite describe. It wasn’t a new feeling, however elusive it remained, but it was stronger than ever before, and they weren’t even within the intimacy of the meld.

She didn’t want to wait another century. She wanted Lycoris’s child  _ now. _ Here, tonight, on their anniversary. Hazy, glowing images floated through Athena’s mind: a daughter with Corrie’s lovely purple skin, and perhaps her own green eyes, which she’d gotten from her human father.

“You don’t want to wait that long, do you?” Lycoris asked, a hint of pleading in her voice.

Even without the meld, it was as if their minds were one.

“No,” Athena said, still gazing directly into Lycoris’s eyes. 

And she meant it.

This wasn’t the same all-consuming desire to get pregnant, or get Lycoris pregnant, that she felt to some degree whenever they melded. Lycoris’s pureblood status made such impulses difficult to resist, although medication lessened the effect. This was different. It was honest and true, and Athena felt all the logical reasons to wait melt away like snow.

She rose from her knees and climbed onto Lycoris’s lap, resting her hands on her bondmate’s shoulders. Lycoris’s hands settled on her waist, steadying and supporting, as their lips met in a deep kiss. It was a kiss that communicated far more than words. Their minds and souls twined, sinking into the never-ending spiral that made them inseparable.

_ I want to get you pregnant, _ Lycoris thought, tightening her hold on Athena’s waist.  _ But I also want to carry your child. I want to have a piece of you forever, no matter what. _

Past the ever-present current of tenderness and adoration that always flowed through Lycoris, Athena sensed deeper turbulence. It was a dark disturbance in the calm, loving vastness of Lycoris’s mind, and she sought it out, wanting to soothe her bondmate as best she could.

_ A white, sterile room. _

_ My own body, looking small and broken in a hospital bed. _

_ My face, twisted in pain, eyes twitching behind closed lids. _

_ Terror. Pain. Exhaustion. _

Suddenly, Athena ached as Lycoris had ached just a few weeks ago. She cried as Lycoris had cried. Feared as Lycoris had feared. The physical injuries she’d sustained during her latest brush with danger were nothing,  _ nothing, _ compared to the emotional pain of seeing herself injured through Lycoris’s eyes, while knowing there was nothing she could do to help.

Somehow, she pulled herself out of the whirlpool. Somehow, she remembered to breathe for the both of them, because Lycoris’s entire chest burned as though starved of air.  _ It’s all right, _ she cooed, shifting a hand from Lycoris’s shoulder to the back of her neck. She kneaded in the way she knew Lycoris liked best, pushing soothing feelings into the union.  _ I’m not leaving you, Corrie. Never. _

_ How can you promise that? _ Lycoris asked. Her mind’s voice was small and unsure, the complete opposite of the confident persona she usually adopted in public.  _ We don’t get to decide when we die. _

Athena rested her forehead against Lycoris’s, leaning close enough for their breaths to mingle.  _ I’m Commander Shepard’s daughter. If anyone can spit in death’s face and get away with it, it’s me. _

Lycoris laughed, and Athena laughed as well, until tears streamed down their cheeks. They clung to each other until their sobs became soft hiccups and their heavy breathing and racing hearts settled into a slow, steady rhythm. It hadn’t been an orgasm, but it wasn’t entirely dissimilar, either; a catharsis of the soul they’d desperately needed without realizing.

“Do you really want a baby?” Lycoris asked aloud, her eyes full of hope.

“Of course,” Athena said. “But you realize it won’t help your fears of losing me, don’t you? Mom always says having children is like splitting your heart in pieces and letting it walk around outside your body.”

Lycoris’s lips twitched into a small smile. “That’s what Dad always says about Mom. I wonder which of them thought of that metaphor first.”

“But are you  _ sure?” _ Athena asked again.

Lycoris blinked once, slowly. A sense of calm radiated from her, spilling over into Athena as well. “Yes, I’m sure. I love you.”

Athena curled closer into Lycoris’s chest, trailing her fingertips along the back of her bondmate’s neck. “And that’s a good enough reason?”

“It’s more than enough reason.” Tenderly, Lycoris pushed Athena off her lap and stood, walking over to the wall of toys. She opened one of the drawers beneath the pegboard, while Athena watched with hungry eyes and hungrier skin. She missed the heat of Lycoris’s body and longed for the comfort of her touch.

Just when she couldn’t stand being alone anymore, Lycoris returned with something in hand. A large smile spread across Athena’s face. Her bondmate had gone to retrieve their favorite toy, just as she’d promised earlier. She watched, still powerfully tempted to get up and help as Lycoris slid the shorter end between her legs, positioning the sensation-transmitting plate against her clit.

“I’m impressed you did that without lube,” Athena said.

Lycoris smirked. She gave her new cock a languid stroke, pumping her fist along the entire length. “Playing with you on the Nos Astra Doublebar got me all worked up. That mouth of yours didn’t hurt, either.”

Athena laid on her back and spread her thighs, patting the back of the couch in invitation. “Come here, Corrie. If you don’t touch me soon, I might go crazy.”

Lycoris climbed onto the couch. Purpose blazed in her black eyes, and Athena shuddered as their bodies met. Every curve and angle lined up perfectly. “You make me all kinds of crazy, The,” Lycoris murmured, settling between Athena’s legs. The underside of her cock slid through Athena’s wetness, nudging the ridge of her clit. “Crazy enough to get you pregnant.”

Athena wrapped her arms around Lycoris’s torso, tilting her hips up in invitation. “What if I want to get  _ you _ pregnant?”

Lycoris’s forehead tattoo rose in surprise. “Is that what you want?”

“You just said you wanted to have a piece of me forever,” Athena said, stroking circles across Lycoris’s lean, muscular back. “Isn’t that what you meant?”

Lycoris laughed. “Hey, that tickles!”

“Well?” Athena said, trying not to laugh herself. “Which is it going to be?”

Lycoris grabbed her wrists and pinned them to the couch, kissing her until their giggles became low groans. Athena flexed her fingers, but didn’t fight Lycoris’s grip. She loved being pinned beneath her bondmate’s weight, forced to accept whatever pleasure Lycoris decided to provide. Her eyelids fluttered as Lycoris’s cockhead lined up with her azure, teasing her entrance.

_ Is this okay? _ Lycoris whispered, entering her mind again.  _ Are you wet enough? _

Athena squeezed Lycoris’s hands, which were still wrapped around her wrists.  _ Are you kidding? You can feel me, can’t you? _ It was a rhetorical question. As the meld deepened, Athena knew Lycoris felt all the same sensations she did—including her own cock sliding inside an inch at a time.

Lycoris gasped and pushed forward, while Athena wrapped her legs around Lycoris’s waist.  _ Goddess, The. You’re so warm… _

_...so big—  _

_ —and tight… _

_ …please move! _

They established a slow, deep rhythm that didn’t allow for any space between them. It meant Lycoris couldn’t pull out all the way, but that didn’t matter. They clung to each other with grasping hands, mouths moving together, breathing as one. Each wave of pleasure washed over both of them in the same instant, bringing their bodies and souls even closer.

_ Love you so much. _

_ Love you, too. _

_ Forever just isn’t enough time… _

_ I know, I know. _

_ But if I had forever to give… _

_ … I’d give it to you. _

_ And there isn’t a single day— _

_ —a single moment... _

_...I’d regret it. _

Athena arched as Lycoris’s hips broke out of rhythm, pumping faster and harder. She dug her heels into Lycoris’s lower back, breaking free of the grip on her wrists and raking her nails between Lycoris’s shoulderblades. 

Lycoris didn’t seem to mind. She panted into Athena’s neck, thrusting with single-minded purpose.

_ Are you trying to get me pregnant the human way? _ Athena asked, squeezing down deliberately on Lycoris’s shaft.  _ By coming inside me? _

_ I… couldn’t stop myself… if I tried…  _ Even Lycoris’s head-voice was happily disjointed, as though the pleasure were almost too much to process.

Athena surrendered to it as well, sinking deeper and deeper within Lycoris’s soul, to the bright white core of her being that overflowed with a love too pure for words. There, she found all her own desires laid bare before her, stripped to their most basic elements.

She wanted Lycoris forever, as Lycoris wanted her.

She wanted to carry Lycoris’s child, as Lycoris wanted to carry hers.

She wanted the pieces of their souls to find each other again in the Great Vastness that followed death.

_I promise,_ Athena pledged, with every bit of sincerity she possessed, _that_ _I will always find you. In every lifetime, and even after that._

With a hitched sob, Lycoris melted on top of her, weeping into the side of her neck. Her hips snapped once more, putting pressure against Athena’s front wall and rubbing the root of her clit. They came wrapped in each other, as part of each other, so words and promises were no longer necessary.

Athena relaxed into the couch, feeling a strange, relaxed sort of satisfaction. She knew she was coming—her body still pulsed in the grip of a powerful peak—but her mind was somewhat detached, bathing in the glory of Lycoris’s love and light. Within that light, she reflected on all the things she loved about her bondmate. All the things she treasured most.

_ Her eyes. Her smile. Her kindness. Her loyalty. Her laughter. Her bravery. Her intelligence. Her determination. Oh, and I guess her butt, too… any daughter of ours would be lucky to inherit that… _

She grasped the rear end in question, holding Lycoris deep within her until their bodies gave out. They collapsed—or, rather, Lycoris collapsed on top of her—and kissed some more despite being breathless. Neither of them was of a mind to move, so they ignored the stickiness between their bodies and the cooling sweat on their skin, content to rest together.

“Well,” Lycoris said at last, “that definitely felt like… something. Were you really thinking about my ass there at the end?”

Athena snorted, placing a kiss on Lycoris’s shoulder. “Can you blame me? It’s a wonderful ass. I should send your father a thank-you card.”

“Goddess, no.” Lycoris dropped her forehead onto the armrest behind Athena’s neck, hiding her face. “Let’s not bring them into it. This is about  _ us.” _

Athena smiled, scratching the back of Lycoris’s neckfolds. “I was only kidding. You’ve been tense all night because of… well, you know.”

A moment of heavy silence hung between them. It wasn’t sad, but resigned and poignant. Both of them knew the truth of love: that it brought pain as well as joy. That wouldn’t change. In fact, their pain would only grow if anything ever happened to their future children. And yet, Athena felt as though her heart had already grown three sizes. Her chest struggled to hold all the love she felt, no matter how bittersweet it was.

“I’m never letting you go,” Lycoris whispered, lifting her head to gaze into Athena’s eyes.

“Good, because I’m not raising two daughters by myself.”

“I mean it. I’m never letting you go, so you just can’t get hurt again. You can’t. Okay?”

Athena sighed. “Corrie...”

The look in Lycoris’s eyes nearly broke her heart in two. “But—”

Athena kissed her, a closed-mouthed kiss full of tenderness. “I’ll always be with you. Wherever you go, whatever happens. Nothing can take me away from you.” Tears streamed down Lycoris’s cheeks, and Athena’s eyes began to sting as well. “Damn it, Corrie. You’re going to make me cry, too.”

“Sorry,” she sniffed, wiping the tears away with the back of her hand.

“Don’t be sorry,” Athena said. “Just be grateful for what we have.”

A smile spread across Lycoris’s face. “And what we’re going to have.”

“Yes,” Athena said. She already felt another surge of energy coming on, a tingling sort of electricity that buzzed through her limbs and made her pulse pound faster.  _ Wow. We finally did it. Got each other pregnant. We’re going to have our own daughters! _

“We’d better start thinking of names,” Lycoris said. 

“Eventually.” Athena pressed her heel into the back of Lycoris’s thigh, reminding her of their intimate position. “But not yet.”

Lycoris’s meld-darkened eyes went wide. “No,” she agreed, brushing her lips against Athena’s throat as she kissed down toward her breasts. “Not yet.” She took a stiff nipple between her lips, tugging between her teeth before soothing the sting with her tongue.

Athena exhaled in relief, clutching the back of Lycoris’s head. She tilted her hips up, and Lycoris was right there to meet her, thrusting soft and slow.

She surrendered all over again. To her bondmate. To their love. To the uncertainty of their future. But that was the beauty of the future, wasn’t it? So many possibilities. And yet, she was certain where she would be through all of it: right by Lycoris’s side. Always.


End file.
